Aura: Vengeance
by Spartan-301
Summary: A story about a young girl named Eris who flees her home planet from the Covenant in order to survive. Her race, the Aurians, are endangered as the Covenant have identified them as a threat, just like the humans. This all takes place before Reach falls.


Aura:

Vengeance

By Eris

Chapter 1

Sky Towers city, Planet Aura, dawn

Queen Mateera stared down the long throne room, her subjects quietly murmuring in conversation. Something was amiss, but she couldn't tell what. She crossed her arms over her chest. She was growing impatient. Her reptilian tail twitched. Chimara stood silently next to her, waiting for the Carrier to arrive. Her long, graceful wings flapped slightly, a sign that she was tense. She always hated to wait, and was as impatient as her superior. Her black eyes narrowed slightly.

With a loud _THUMP! _the large doors at the end of the room flew open, and a small globe floated down the hall. Hundreds of heads swiveled, and watched as the Carrier hovered towards the Queen. When it was five feet away from Mateera's throne, it halted and shined a cool blue color. "Greetings!" it said in a cheerful voice, "I am Carrier zero-zero-nine. I bring a message from the A.I. construct known as Kateera, as it is my primary function to send and receive messages" The Carrier flickered, and a holographic image appeared. The image was of a young woman, the represention of Kateera. The image flickered again, and the A.I.'s color shifted into a deep violet. She brushed aside her short, blue hair. She bowed slightly to the Queen, and she returned the gesture. "Your Grace, I bring terrible news." Kateera said, "My service life on this Carrier is short, so I will make it brief." "Continue." Mateera said softly. "While monitoring the progress of our base at Zergon 678," Kateera began, "I received this transmission from one of our TCDs." Kateera flickered again, and her image then was replaced by a garbled transmission. It showed a young man in his late twenties with cat-like features. He had an expression of utter horror on his fur-covered face. The quality of the video worsened, then restored itself again. _"This is Thunderbolt 385," _he said,_ "does anybody read me? We are hit and are losing altitude! Repeat,--"_ The interior of the Triad-class drop ship was rocked violently by a nearby explosion, the image filled with static, then recovered again. _"We've got contact! Repeat, contact! Lots of em'! We don't know what but..." _The ship was suddenly filled with the sound of gunfire. The Aurian screamed, and was immediately hit by a plasma bolt. Another figure came into view, but it was not an Aurian. It was a bipedal, if somewhat insecticidal creature wearing armor. _"Amara kai Tai Karrai' mah cussfa! Gar remblis mit fis fah!" _it said, seemingly to the viewers of the transmission. The figure looked down at the at the ex-pilot of Thunderbolt 385, and made an incredibly inhuman grin. The creature grabbed the Aurian by his legs and tossed him against a wall. Several smaller creatures came up to the disfigured Aurian and crowded around it, seemingly fascinated by it. The armored figured barked orders to them, and soon the smaller aliens had rounded up every Aurian aboard the TCD. The tall creature stared right into the transmission and murmured, _"Ackna crin ghroo ya." _ and turned the camera over and smashed it with its foot. Static filled the video.

The throne room was silent. "Kateera," The Queen ordered, "translate that last part." Calculations scrolled across Kateera's body. The transmission rewinded and the creature spoke in a low, inhuman voice. _"The prophets shall not lie. Your race will be destroyed. Every infidel of a human will come to an end." _The video fast-forwarded, and stopped as the armored figure spoke again. _"The light will be ours." _The transmission halted, then went black.

"Kateera, who are these creatures?" Mateera inquired. "I'm afraid I can't answer that question, your Grace," Kateera replied solemnly. "My service life is short and I can't live much longer. My original copy may be able to answer your query." Chimara looked up. "If I may, your Highness," she said, "I believe they are known as the Covenant." "Go on," The Queen said as she turned toward her personal bodyguard. "During my time I have seen many different races and species," The Aurian began, "I was once assigned to planet Reach, where I was to defend our allies, the Humans, from the Covenant. I heard that the Covenant had a deep hatred towards Mankind. That they were bent on the destruction of these Humans. But they now have identified _us_ as a threat to their religion. They are a very dangerous foe in combat, your Highness. They have the power to obliterate planets with a single blast. I am afraid this is one battle we may not win. And even if we did, many Aurians would die. Then the Vertrons would surely attack us..." Chimara looked grim. "Possibly causing our very extinction." Queen Mateera sighed, and looked around the room. She thought about the safety of her fellow Aurians, the safety of her daughter... Her daughter. "Chimara," she ordered, "begin evacuation of the planet and moons. We're leaving Aura." Chimara nodded slightly. "Yes, your Highness." The sound of her hooves clomping down the hall echoed as she exited the throne room. Mateera stared at the Carrier and Kateera's fading image. "Kateera, here are your final orders. Get my daughter to safety. Make sure she gets to Zergon safely." "Yes, your Grace." Kateera's hologram vanished, and Carrier 009 floated out of the throne room.

Chapter 2

Housing complex #355, Planet Aura, evening

Eris stared out the window, watching the suns set. It was absolutely beautiful. _"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the universe,"_ she thought. Her bright red eyes were fixed upon the twin stars. She was a young Aurian, who appeared to be no older than six. Yet she was one of the most intelligent beings in the entire housing complex. For an Aurian, she had vary dark tones. She was born with black skin and hair. The only thing on her body that wasn't black was her bright red eyes, and her matching arrowheaded tail.

She turned away from the magnificent sight and went back to her computer. "Incoming transmission from Irk," a voice said. Eris clicked the on-screen dialog and the transmission came to life. An image of an Irken female appeared. "Hi, Nik." Eris said calmly, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Greetings, Eris," replied the the female as her antennae bobbed slightly. The Irkens had insect-like traits, like huge double-pupiled eyes and antennae. They had green skin and some sort of life support mechanism on their backs. Without, the Irken it was attached to would surely die. The Irkens were a race of highly technological beings, who thankfully were an ally of the Aurians. Often, Invader Nik and Eris would trade technologies. "Did you got those beta programs I sent you?" Nik inquired. Eris picked up a data chip and waved it in front of the computer screen. "Ah, good!" said the Irken. "It still has a few bugs to work out, but you can hack into almost any operating system with that." She scratched her face. "Great," Eris replied, "That may come in handy someday." She stuffed the chip into her backpack. Eris looked at the Irken. "Oh, by the way, how's Ecks doing?" Nik rolled her huge crimson eyes. "Just as stupid and dull as ever. I've had more fun on planet Blorch." A a taller male Irken appeared behind her. "Excuse me?" he said angrily. "What now, Ecks?" Nik replied in a defiant tone. "Hello, Ecks," Eris said cheerfully, ignoring their little argument. Nik scoffed. "Hello, Eris." Ecks grumbled. He was in no mood to converse with the Aurian. Eris's computer screen flashed.

!URGENT MESSAGE!

FROM: Kateera

SUBJECT: URGENT

"I got to go now, Nik, this looks important." Eris cut the transmission. She clicked a dialog on her monitor and a small disk ejected itself from the computer. Kateera's shimmering image appeared. "What is it, K?" Eris often used this nickname for the A.I.. "Eris, I'll make it brief." Kateera said, "Aura is under attack. I have orders from the Queen to get you to safety. A TCD is waiting to take you and several others to Zergon 678." "You mean _us_," Eris corrected, "I'm not leaving this planet without you." "My circuits run throughout Aura," Kateera warned, "If you take me, many systems may fail." Eris sighed. "I am aware," she said, "but you're still coming with me." She looked up at the shimmering construct. She needed Kateera, she was one of greatest A.I.s known to the Aurians. But she couldn't rob her planet of this valuable asset. "In a way, you'll still be here." Eris said. "I beg your pardon, ma'am?" Kateera furrowed her brow, a very complicated action for a construct. "K, I want you to copy every one of your abilities," Eris said, "Everything. A complete copy of you." Kateera brushed aside her purple-tinged hair. "Fine. Give me a few seconds." Numbers scrolled across her body. "There." she said. A data chip ejected from the computer. Eris smiled, put it back into the console, and ejected Kateera's original copy. She stared at it for a few seconds. _"I hope I'm doing the right thing," _she thought. She placed the chip into her backpack.

Eris ran down the corridor. Several other Aurians also rushed franticly to find a way off the planet, others were preparing for battle. Eris finally made her way to a large room with eight drop ships awaiting departure, where many other Aurians, soldiers and civilians alike, were preparing to evacuate. Eris ran up to the Triad-class drop ship. A crimson-feathered biped was waiting for her. "Hawk!" She ran up to greet the Aurian. "Hey, Eris!" he said warmly. He was about twice Eris's age and height. "Good to see you, ma'am," Hawk said. Eris narrowed her deep red eyes. "Cut it out, Hawk," she said angrily, "I'm tired of being your superior." "With all due respect, you're the daughter of the Queen, Eris," Hawk replied in a low tone, "This is how you're supposed to be treated." Eris's tail stiffened. "Screw that," she snapped. "Let's get out of here." She climbed into the drop ship. It was filled with so much cargo and so many Aurians. It felt awfully cramped. She managed to find a seat near a command terminal. She took the data chip out of her backpack and inserted it into the slot. Kateera's image appeared small on the terminal. She looked angry. "What the hell are you doing?!" She said, her voice filled with rage. "You were supposed to _leave_ my original copy!" "Knowing you," Eris said calmly, "You would leave many components such as your hacking programs and personality behind. Knowing that, I left your copy because I knew it could run Aura without it's original copy's attitude." She smiled at the shimmering construct. "And I actually couldn't bear to go through this without the Kateera I know and love." Kateera made a small, somewhat embarrassed smile. She began to speak, but Eris cut her off. "Set coordinates for Zergon 678." She ordered. Kateera nodded. "Aye. Beginning Slipspace transition." The TCD hummed, and then slowly rose into the air, and exited Aura's atmosphere for the last time.

Chapter 3

Near Zergon system, Slipspace

The TCD and its pair of escort quadruple engine speeders tore through the very fabric of space. Eris hated space travel alone, and a Slipspace transition just made her feel nauseous. "Approaching Zergon system." Kateera announced. "Beginning transition to normal space." The eight drop ships and the two Q.E.S. fighters lurched forward and exited Slipspace. A sudden impact panged against the TCD's hull. "What the hell was that?!" Hawk screamed over the sirens and alarms. Eris peered out a window. A large asteroid flew past the view screen. "I don't remember an asteroid field near any planet in the Zergon system," she said, "Unless my study guides are obsolete, we're in the wrong system!" "That's impossible." Kateera objected. "With my calculations, and the added support of these state-of-the-art computers, Zergon 678 should on the view screens right now."

This did not add up. Zergon 678 had no asteroid fields or even moons near it. "Turn us around," Hawk ordered Julian, the pilot of the TCD. "and tell everyone else to do the same." "Aye, sir!" Julian said. His gray paws danced across holographic displays while his slender tail grasped a microphone. _"TCD Arrowhead 330 to evac team. All units turn around. Slipspace calculations may have been off. The planet might just be behind us." _His tail set the mike down. Six other TCDs confirmed the order. One didn't. A voice came over the COM. _"Good lord!"_ The voice of the pilot of TCD Stormsword 093 said. _"Arrowhead 330 to Stormsword 093, what's--" _

Julian didn't finish the sentence. He sat there, staring at the view screen, wishing he could take his eyes off the sight.

"What is-" Hawk couldn't finish his either. He stared at the view screen too. Eris was starting to get angry. "What the hell is-" Everyone in the drop ship stared out the view screen, too scared to talk.

It was Zergon 678.

Nothing more than a floating rock in space.

"What could have done this?" Eris asked. She didn't expect an answer. Zergon 678 was a moon-sized rock now. Chunks of the ex-planet were floating in the air. Two million lives had just ended. Innocent lives. They had done nothing to deserve this. Kateera's image appeared again. She was as horrified as everyone else. "The Covenant." She said, her voice grief-stricken."They were here." "The what?!" said a confused Eris. "They are the reason your here, Eris." The construct said. "But my orders were to take you to the Zergon system for safety, and now..." She let her words hang in the air. A small light blinked rapidly on the view screen. "Energy spike," Julian announced. "The signature is different though, it can't be one of ours." The view screen was suddenly filled with ships, none of them Aurian. They were ten times the size of a Triad class drop ship. "Destroyers," Kateera whispered. Small spheres in their fronts slowly lit up.

They were charging their weapons.

"Evasive action!" Hawk ordered. "Tell those Q.E.S. fighters to get off their butts and help us!" "Aye, sir!" Julian replied. The TCD spun three-hundred and sixty degrees and strafed left, nearly missing a plasma bolt. "We are out-gunned, out-numbered, and out of time!" Eris screamed. "We can't win this!" Q.E.S. fighter Streak one zoomed across the view screen, and a millisecond later was reduced to atoms. "We've lost Streak one!" Julian shouted over the sound of the firefight and scream of the drop ship's stressed engines. "'When in doubt...'" Hawk recalled an old Aurian Starfighter phrase. "'Run.'" Julian said grimly. He picked up the mike. _"All units, fall back! Repeat, fall back! Randomize Slipspace coordinates, I don't care! Split! Get the hell out of here! We can't fight and we have no reinforcements. Just go!" _Julian faced Kateera. "Charge up the Slipspace capacitors, and get us out of here!" "Slipspace capacitors charging," She replied. "Charge at 30 percent...50...80... 100." "Punch it!" Hawk screamed. In the next instant, the TCD disappeared into the void of Slipspace.

Chapter 4

Eridanus Star System, near Eridanus 2, Slipspace

Eris still couldn't comprehend what just happened. She didn't plan to try either. The important thing was they were safe, for now. She looked around. Several Aurians had been thrown against walls and equipment and supplies were strewn across the deck. She got up and looked out the view screen. There was nothing but space.

Unless the Covenant could track them in Slipstream space, she knew she was safe.

Hawk was busy doing something at the controls. He looked up. "You okay?" He asked as he silently walked toward Eris. "I'm fine," She said, pushing away Hawk's feathered arms. "Where are we?" She inquired. "Did anyone else make it?" Hawk turned away, staring into the void. "I'm afraid," he said, "That this has turned into a war." He turned toward Eris, looking into her bright crimson eyes. She was just as sweet and innocent-looking as the day he first met her. He knew what he had to do wouldn't easy, but it had to be done. "We have to..." He paused, searching for the right word. "relocate you. The Covenant may know who you are, or they may not. Either way, you must be protected.

"It was Kateera's duty to get you to safety, and she never fails. You are going to live-" A holo image of a desert planet appeared. "-here. Eridanus 2. It's safe, and to our knowledge, away from the Covenant. It's a human-controlled system, and we will find a pair of humans who will take care of you." He looked down, pulling his eyes away from hers. "We have to wipe your memory to take precautions." Eris was stunned. So many emotions, sadness, anger, fear. They all hit her at once.

She started to speak, but Hawk cut her off. He handed her a small metal disk. "Keep this safe," said Hawk. "This will be your only reminder of your past. It will only tell you only what your allowed to know." She took it, and the disk glowed green. She pressed a small button on the side labeled "AURA". The disk flickered, and a surprisingly beautiful holo image of the planet appeared. A soft nursery tune played; it was the one she remembered hearing when she was a infant.

Kateera's voice came over the drop ship's speakers. "Approaching Eridanus 2. Beginning transition to normal space. Standing by." "Roger that, Kateera." Hawk replied. "Prepare to land in five." He looked at Eris, straight into her eyes. They were wide and glassy, like she was about to cry. But she didn't cry. Hawk was almost amazed by her infrequent show of emotions. Any other kid would have easily burst out crying, or throw a fit. But Eris just stood there, staring, and waiting.

"This is our only choice, Eris," He said, kneeling down to her level. "This is as difficult as digging my own heart out with a spoon." He looked down, trying to smile, but only a small flex of his cheekbones was visible. He rummaged around a compartment and found what he was looking for: a small, red tinged orb. He held it out in front of Eris, and it floated out of his feathered hand, as if suspended by an invisible wire. "I'm sorry." Hawk said.

There was a flash of light, and a sudden jolt. And that was the last thing Eris could remember before everything went black, and her last memories of Hawk and everything else that mattered to her, faded like a dream.

Chapter 5

Sky Towers City, Planet Aura, evening

Increasingly loud explosions rocked the throne room, and Mateera grew more nervous all the time. Most Aurian buildings were built underground, making them highly resilient against attacks. But the weapons being used to bombard the planet were extremely powerful; huge cracks began to spread across the roof. Chimara stared upwards at the fissures and grew nervous. "Your Highness, this is getting dangerous. We need to evacuate now!"

The Queen looked around the room. Most of her subjects had already evacuated, and only the royal guards remained. She had guided every Aurian through every crisis for nearly eighty-two years. Was she about to abandon them now?

A huge chunk of the ceiling right above her throne fell. Chimara quickly picked her up and threw her off, just as the chunk neatly sliced the throne in two. "My apologies," said Chimara. "I'm alright," said Mateera, dusting debris off her cape. "but before we go, there is one last thing I need to do." She ran out of the throne room into the winding tunnels. Chimara reluctantly followed. "With all due respect, ma'am," She said, trying to catch her breath. "where are you going?" Mateera didn't even bother looking back. Finally, she reached her destination: a narrow corridor leading to a spiral staircase. Chimara stared at her with disbelief. "Your Highness, it's too dangerous. You can't go up there!" She ignored her and ran up the stairs. The nearby explosions rocked the building, and her ears began to ring. She didn't care. She needed to get up there, to see the devastation. When she finally reached the top, she realized it was worse than she predicted. Her worse fears had been correct. Q.E.S. fighters streaked through the air, trails of smoke following them. Huge fires were everywhere. One particularly large fire seemed to be going out over the horizon. It was one of the suns, shining an armageddon red.

The Covenant had reached Aura.

_"This is the end." _She thought. No, it wasn't.

It was the _beginning_ of the end.

Chapter 6

Aboard Covenant ship _Entropy_, time unknown

Shuma Zamakee' walked through the long, lonely corridors of the ship. His footsteps echoed throughout the hall. The walls shined with a purple glow, illuminating the intricate patterns that covered them. Zamakee' ignored the light show, and pressed on towards his primary objective.

The Elite reached a large door guarded by two Honor Guards. They almost seemed like they didn't even see him as he approached.

"State your business," said one Guard. Zamakee' clicked his lower mandibles, an equivalent of a shrug. "I have been summoned by the Prophet of Truth," He said simply. "It is supposed to be urgent." The Honor Guards warily parted to let Zamakee' pass, but quickly they followed him inside.

The room was dark, only lit by a few lights around the edges of the bowl shaped room. Dark shadows of more then a hundred other Honor Guards were barely visible. The Prophet of Truth hovered in the very middle of the room. It wore a headpiece with ornaments that looked like insect antennae. Zamakee' stiffened as a calm, yet powerful voice rang like a bell through the chamber.

"Enter, Shuma Zamakee'." It said. Zamakee' calmly strode toward the ghostly figure. He bowed down low, so low his face brushed the floor. "Rise," the Prophet said in a soothing tone. Zamakee' slowly rose to his full eight foot height, but he felt dwarfed by the immense size of the chamber. "Leave us," he said to the other Elites in the chamber. Their heavy combat armor made no sound as they walked out of the room. The doors slammed shut, but the sound seemed to linger in the air.

"There is something you must know," said the Prophet. "A holy artifact has been left behind by the Forerunners. It is our duty to make sure it does not fall into the enemies' hands." "Yes, great one." Zamakee' said quietly. "But what is the great relic we seek?" The Prophet almost seemed uncomfortable, and that made Zamakee' uneasy. "The holy light." The Prophet replied, its voice a whisper. "The one the infidel Mara Humashee' failed to acquire?" Zamakee' said. The Prophet nodded. "This is your task, Zamakee'. Find the object the Great Ones have left for us. It shall never fall into the infidels' hands. You are hereby given the position of Ship Master." "Yes, great one. Thank you, great one." Ship Master Shuma Zamakee' walked out of the room with what passed as a grin for his species.


End file.
